Norman Europe as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of window covering products strongly encourage consumers around the globe to use wood blinds and shutters. Wood products are renewable, recyclable, waste efficient, bio degradable and non toxic. Wood as you will read below is also particulary energy efficient in production and use, and as such can play a major role in combatting global warming. Remember next time you are updating your window coverings at home or in the office choose “wood is good”.
“Wood is beautiful, light and strong to build with, warm, welcoming and healthy to live with. And it offers a simple way to reduce CO2 emissions that are the main cause of climatic change.”
1. Use of wood products reduces atmospheric CO2 and conserves energy
• low energy requirement to produce and process - giving wood a ultra lowcarbon footprint
• substitute to materials like steel or plastics which require large amounts of “fossil ” energy to produce
• growing tree absorbs 1 t atmospheric CO2 for every cubic metre of wood
• productive forests provide a carbon sink
• wood products provide a carbon store
• outstanding thermal insulation (wood has 1770 times better thermal insulation than aluminium)
2. Wood is a naturally renewable and a sound ecological building material
• forests have the potential to regenerate or be cultivated to provide sustainable wood resources
• despite a supply increase, the worlds forests in temperate and boreal regions continue to increase
• waste efficient - very little waste is generated in making wood-based products
• all byproducts can be used as raw materials or as an energy source
3. Wood makes a natural case for itself inside the home. It provides timeless good looks and well being
• whether contemporary or traditional, painted or stained wood adds classic elegance to a room
• it ages gracefully over the years - developing depth of character and interest
• improves insulation and helps to warm up a room more quickly
• is warm to touch and provides a robust and maintenance free surface
• creates naturally healthy living conditions, easy to keep clean and provides natural humidity control
• products can be easily customised to suit individual style
The Global Economic Benefit
“It has been estimated that an annual 4% increase to 2010 in Europe’s wood consumption would sequester an additional 150 million t CO2 per year and that the market value of this environmental service would be about Euro1.8 billion a year”
CEI-Bois, Roadmap 2010, Executive Summary, 2004
For more information on sustainable wood please click here